SCB Medical Fire Accident in Odisha ;Govt Suspends 4 Officials for Negligence

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar,( 18/03/26):The Odisha government on Wednesday cracked down on alleged lapses in fire safety at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, suspending four officials in the wake of the March 16 blaze that claimed around 12 lives.

The action, approved by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, follows preliminary findings pointing to negligence in duty during the incident at one of the state’s largest government hospitals.

According to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office in Bhubaneswar, those suspended include Deputy Fire Officer Prakash Kumar Jena and Assistant Fire Officer Sanjeeb Kumar Behera of the Cuttack Circle. Station Officer Abhinab Prusty, posted at SCB Medical and Assistant Executive Engineer Ranjan Kumar Biswal of the SCB sub-division under Cuttack GED, have also been placed under suspension.

The government has cited dereliction of duty, indicating possible gaps in fire preparedness and emergency response that may have worsened the impact of the blaze.

Earlier, the Chief Minister ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. A fact-finding committee headed by the Development Commissioner has been tasked with determining the cause of the fire, assessing response systems and suggesting measures to strengthen fire safety across hospitals in Odisha.

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